Siemens announced September 20 that it has been selected by the Egypt's Electricity Holding Company (EEHC) to provide operation and maintenance services (O&M) for three mega-CCGTs for eight years.

Siemens built the Beni Suef, New Capital and Burullus power plants (each of 4.8 GW, so totalling 14.4 GW) which are considered to be the largest gas-fired combined-cycle plants ever built and operated. Together the plants represent roughly 40% of Egypt's power generation capacity; it completed their construction two months ago. 

The German electrical engineering firm said the O&M contract now signed with Egypt is the largest in terms of power generated that it has ever signed, but did not disclose financial details. 

The massive order to build the three gas-fired mega-CCGTs was signed in June 2015 and worth €8bn (then $9bn), inclusive of some windfarms in the Egyptian Red Sea.

Much of the gas that will be used at the giant power plants will come from new fields such as Eni's Zohr, or new phases of fields such as BP's West Delta Marine 2.

The multi-year O&M job covers all on-site equipment including 24 gas turbines, twelve steam turbines, 36 generators, 24 heat recovery steam generators and three 500 kV gas-insulated switchgear systems.